The ESPN telecast drew a 14 rating. The only BCS games with lower ratings were the 2005 USC-Oklahoma matchup, which got a 13.7, and the 2002 Miami-Nebraska game, which had a 13.8.

Ratings were down 8% from the 2011 title game between Auburn and Oregon.

Monday's telecast had regional appeal, with seven of the top 10 metered markets having a Southeastern Conference footprint, according to the overnight numbers. Birmingham topped the list with a 61.2, followed by New Orleans at 53.3.

The combined numbers for the BCS games — Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange and BCS title game — took a hit this season. Combined, they averaged 8.4% of all TV households, down 12% from 2010.

The West Virginia-Clemson Orange Bowl drew a 4.5, the lowest-rated game in BCS history.

ESPN won a bidding war with Fox for BCS rights in 2008. The network paid roughly $500 million for television, radio and digital rights to all BCS games for four years. The deal began after the 2010 regular season.

How did Monday night's title game fare against the Nov. 5 Game of the Century between the Crimson Tide and Tigers? That telecast drew an 11.5 on CBS.

The title game did surpass other programming on Monday night. ABC got a 5.4. with "Castle" and "The Bachelor." CBS drew a 4.6 with reruns of "How I Met Your Mother" and "Broke Girls." NBC had a 3 and Fox a 2.1.